When faced with an emergency, people feel safe knowing help is only three numbers away. They call 911, get connected to the proper emergency services, and help is on the way.

But as cellphone use has increased, so has the number of 911 misdials, which can cause that help to take longer to arrive.

The Manitowoc Police Department reports 911 misdials are on the rise. From January through the end of August, 1,436 misdials were reported, up from 1,220 during the same span in 2014 and 1,151 in 2013. The month of June had 212, which was the highest monthly total so far this year.

Some misdials are not a problem. Those who accidentally call stay on the line and explain the situation, and the issue ends there. Other times, the caller simply hangs up or has no idea they called in the first place. When that happens, police have to respond. First, they try to call the number back. If there isn't an answer, an officer is dispatched to investigate.

"We have to respond with a minimum of one officer, sometimes two," Manitowoc Assistant Police Chief Nick Reimer said. "If someone dials 911, it should be an emergency, and that's how we respond. At least one officer goes and checks the area. We're often not going with lights and sirens, but our officers still have to take time to check and make sure everything is OK. We can't assume it was just an accidental call. We can never do that. We have to do something. And that means other calls have to wait."

Most of the time, the department can pinpoint the location of the call and check in quickly to make sure there is not an emergency. Other calls can only be tracked to a larger area, meaning the officers have to take time searching to make sure an emergency situation is not taking place.

Reimer said a lot of these calls fall into two categories — kids playing with phones or what is commonly referred to as "pocket dials."

He said in many instances, parents have allowed their children to play with old phones no longer connected to a provider. What they don't realize is those phones can still be used to call 911.

"This can be solved by taking out the battery or not allowing children to play with a cellular phone that you no longer use," Reimer said.

Education is also important when it comes to dealing with kids.

"Educating our children to let them know to only dial 911 in emergency situations," Reimer said. "We want to make sure they dial 911 when they need to, but only when they need to."

As for pocket dials, being conscious of your phone and its features is important.

"This usually occurs when a cellular phone is placed in someone’s pocket or other area without turning the screen off and the person’s movements end up dialing an emergency number," Reimer said. "Even when the screen is locked, many cellular phones will allow dialing 911. On several older phones, pushing and holding down the No. 9 key will cause the phone to automatically dial 911.

"Know your phone and know its settings, and make sure that you do what you can to make sure that your phone isn't going to dial 911 unless you really want it to," Reimer added.

Aside from the consequence of longer wait times for true emergencies, there are also consequences for those who repeatedly misuse 911. Verbal and written warnings are given for the first couple times an accidental call occurs, but beyond that, citations are given. The fine for misusing 911 is $224.80.

"We don't want to discourage people from calling 911 in any way," Reimer said. "It's there, and we're here to help with emergencies. We just need to make sure 911 calls are reserved for emergencies."